It was late, and as usual, Sarah was having trouble
sleeping. Maybe a snack would help.

She nodded briefly at Cameron, who appeared to be
immersed in a book, before opening the refrigerator
door and peering inside. Sarah found a tangerine and
began peeling it when she heard Cameron come up
behind her.

"Sarah? You are fat."

"WHAT?"

Sarah whirled around to face the terminator.
"I spend half my day keeping myself in shape,
because God only knows when I'll need to...
defend John, or attack some random freak.
Do you think I do those chin-ups on the swing
set to entertain the neighbors?"

Cameron reached out and pulled Sarah over
to the couch.

"No, phat. You are phat. It is difficult to convey
the change in meaning because the spelling
is different. Here, see? It's a compliment."

She handed Sarah the book she'd been reading:
'The Abridged Dictionary of American Slang.'

"I decided that it would be prudent to familiarise
myself with the words people use at school,
since you insist that we go. I was confused.
A girl once asked me if I thought she was fat and
she called me a 'bitch whore'... now I know what
that means. I thought she was fat, so I agreed.
Sometimes I think it is more dangerous for John
and me to be going to school. I don't blend in. The
first day, I couldn't get through the metal detector
and John had to tell them I had a plate in my head."

Sarah stifled a smile. John had, of course, told her
about the incident. Cameron sighed, a startlingly
human sound, before continuing.

"Well, I get teased about that, so I thought if my
language were more like everyone else's, it would
help. This book is quite useful."

Cameron did have a point. It would be better if she
appeared more like a normal teenager, Sarah
thought.

"Well, now that you've explained, thank you for
the... compliment."

"It's cool."

"Cameron?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"Try smiling a little more, too."

Cameron stared into space for several seconds
before turning to Sarah and rewarding her with
a grin that lit up her face. It was so damned hard
to reconcile that look with the simple fact that
the slender form sitting next to her was a killing
machine. Sarah was suddenly conscious of the
warmth from the girl's bare leg. She could swear
that Cameron had moved in closer during their
discussion of slang.

She tentatively reached out and slid a hand over
Cameron's bare thigh. The scent of tangerine
added to the excitement. She was about to lean
in, to taste those lips, those lips that were so
perfectly formed and yet, not remotely anything
made by God.

Cameron inadvertently broke the spell by trying
out another new phrase she'd learned.

"Mmm... funky fresh."

Sarah collapsed in laughter, rolling toward the
opposite end of the couch.

"Sarah, what is wrong? Was that a bad thing
to say? The dictionary..."

"Cameron, you need to check the dates for these
words and phrases... not all of these are current!"

She thumbed through the book. "See- here- 1980s!"
Cameron once again leaned closer.

"Ah, yes. I understand now. Thank you. That would
have been terrible if it happened in school."

She looked so serious, so dejected that Sarah felt
guilty. But at that moment, she could hear John
stirring in his room.

Something, some devilish part of her that she normally
kept under wraps suddenly surfaced. As she got up to
leave, she quickly leaned down and swiftly, but quite
thoroughly, kissed Cameron, leaving the faint aroma of
tangerine on the confused terminator's lips.

"Cameron? I think you're a stone fox."

"A stone what?"

Sarah kissed her again, briefly, running her fingers
through the long, silky hair.